briight

Actually, we really are making improvements!
Our plan for Saturday:
1. Raise the water level in the sump.
2. Raise the skimmer and TC bubble trap higher in the sump to improve functionality.
3. Install skimmate drain line on the skimmer.
4. Install standpipe on sump drain.
5. Run sump water level checks with pump shut off.

We originally intended to use as much of the volume of the sump as was safely possible. The current water level was therefore too low. To raise the water level meant we were going to have to raise the skimmer and the bubble trap for them to continue to function. We also wanted to install a standpipe on the sump drain, to keep the pump from transporting more water than the topside tank could hold, in the event we lost syphon on the overflow box topside. Also, we needed to do some test shut-offs to see how much the water level would rise in the sump if we lost power to the pump.

We chose two plastic milk crates to raise the skimmer and TC bubble trap. They were scrubbed thoroughly and installed upside down in the sump.

After we had everything placed on the crates, we took a measurement on the skimmer for the required operating depth, and compared it to the height of the TC bubble trap.

We used a male thread/female slip adapter to screw into the sump side of the drain bulkhead, then added a short length of 1" PVC, and then a 90 degree elbow, upturned, for the standpipe. Once we had the water level set, we would cut the length of PVC required for the actual standpipe.
Of course, we had to mix more salt water to raise the water level in the sump.
The skimmate cup drain fitting didn't fit in air line tubing, so we had to purchase a slightly larger size. An Oberweis glass milk bottle will serve nicely as our skimmate collector.


For the most part, the whole operation went smoothly. Of note, we had some trouble with the spa flex sections of the drain lines from topside. Anticipating that they would be modified, they were slip fit with silicone grease into the elbows. Once we raised the water level and the apparatus in the sump, the spa flex sections were too long, and they didn't want to bend nicely without leaking. We also discovered that the spa flex in cross section was actually not round, it was oval shaped, which wouldn't form a good seal in the elbow anyway. We decided to add another short run of PVC with a 45 degree elbow, then a short length of the spa flex with no bending stress on it. This may change yet again as things evolve.



We found that the low and high levels for operation of the skimmer were the same as the low and high sump levels in the pump shut-off test--the water level in the sump rose 2 inches before the water in the topside tank dropped below the overflow gate, but didn't overflow the sump. We have about 6 inches left before overflow of the sump.
We ran out of steam before we finished the standpipe and the skimmer output extensions to the bubble trap, but tomorrow is another day, and for tonight, it's all functional. Our basement ceiling tops out at about 6'8" between the joists, and Brian is 6'5" tall. He'd bumped his head a couple of times while focused on what he was doing, and he was done working on the sump for the day. So we put the transfer pumps, fittings, and tools away, and went upstairs for coffee and ice cream.